Good. Then all of you can relate to what Bradley Braves senior Walt Lemon Jr. did to himself the first two months of this basketball season.

Voted a contender for Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors, Lemon started the season as if a million expectations were riding on every shot and pass. When the shots clunked like anvils, his shoulders sank. When his passes went astray or were mishandled by teammates, he lashed out. After two successive seasons being voted to the MVC's team of most-improved players, Lemon looked like the top candidate for Valley Backslider of the Year.

And Bradley's season careened into the ditch.

After a 69-65 victory over Northern Iowa on Wednesday night, though, the Braves have a pulse. And it's due in no small part to an abrupt turnaround in Lemon's game, which appears to have come about because he has made peace with himself.

"Basketball is just a game, at the end of the day," Lemon said, "and it's what I love to do. (As a senior), this is my last go-around, and I wanted it to be perfect. But nothing can be perfect."

No, but it can be pretty darn good, as Lemon was Wednesday. He made 11 of 22 shots, including 9 of 15 in the second half, scored 28 points and added three rebounds, three assists, a steal and a blocked shot while playing all 40 minutes. Down the stretch, UNI tried every way coach Ben Jacobson could think of to stop him, to no avail.

"He made some really big-time finishes for us," Bradley coach Geno Ford said, "but that's what you're supposed to do when you're an all-conference player."

Lemon's personal turnaround has been stark. He shot only 39.7 percent in the nonconference season, which included a winless December, but has made 46.7 percent of his shots in seven MVC games. His 3-point percentage was .212 in nonconference play, but is .429 in the MVC. He averaged 15.1 points through November and December, but 21.6 since Jan. 1. And his turnovers are down from four per game to three.

Bradley's team efficiency on offense is vastly improved. Most notably, the Braves' 3-point accuracy has jumped from .281 to .354.

"They're running the same things. There's not anything from a scheme standpoint that's different," UNI's Jacobson said. "But their execution is better. Even though they didn't get a lot of production on the block tonight because we were doubling the post, they still got production on the block. So they're getting more done inside."

Bradley's three centers combined for 13 points and 11 rebounds. Of course, they also committed 13 fouls, but they did their jobs.

Freshman Xzavier Taylor had a remarkably productive 10 minutes, scoring four points, grabbing three rebounds and making a nice low-high assist before fouling out. Senior Jordan Prosser had seven points and five rebounds in 18 minutes before fouling out. And junior Chris Blake had two points and three minutes in the leftover post time.

Less dribbling and better passing have contributed to the Braves' offensive improvement. Lemon has grown more patient. He's willing to make the extra pass and even kick out to open shooters on the perimeter when his drives are cut off. The outside jumpers are easier to make when they're taken in rhythm. And the interior loosens when the outside shots go down.

Before the game, Ford turned the word "pride" into an acronym and drilled the assigned word for each letter into his players. He declined to divulge what the words were, "because we might play (UNI) again — and besides that, a couple can't be printed."

"But I'll tell you," he continued, "D was for discipline. Do not take the first available shot, because that's what they want us to do."

The Braves got the message. They've won two in a row for the first time since early November. Nobody is expecting a miracle here, but the rest of the season suddenly doesn't appear quite as dark as it did three weeks ago. Like Lemon said, basketball is a game, and it's supposed to be fun.

"I'm relaxed," Lemon continued. "I'm not worrying anymore about life after Bradley or what anybody might say about me. I'm just going to stay in the gym … and keep working hard."

It's the right attitude. Who knows what that might lead to?

KIRK WESSLER is Journal Star executive sports editor/columnist. He can be reached at kwessler@pjstar.com, or 686-3216. Read his Captain's Blog at blogs.pjstar.com/wessler/. Follow him on Twitter @KirkWessler.